The collection consists of one letter: dated Sparta, Hancock County, Georgia, February 7, 1846, addressed to Mrs. Jane D. Anderson, West Windham, New Hampshire, in Care of Francis D. Anderson, signed "Your affectionate nephew, S. M. B." (The writer's name is inferred from a reference he makes to "Mother Bass.") The author writes " …this is a day of high-pressure engines, Magnetic Telegraphs, Iron War Steamers, etc., etc., not to mention the various isms of our time such as Mesmerism, Mormonism, Millerism …" He also writes about his life at the Academy, his rooms, and his neighbors.